Christophe Pignol
# 959 2474
October 4th 2013
FMST 350C/FFAR 398C
TAKE HOME EXAM

The swordplay film genre evolved quite differently in respective of their produced countries. In Europe, and later Hollywood, Swashbuckling was a product of Romanticism a movement in art and letters started in the 18th century. It was popularized and revived during the silence era of films. It drew on a spectacle feel and the grace and agility of the main characters, as well as the footwork. In Japan, the “chanbara” and the different samurai sub-genre, gave a voice to its cultural traditions, which seemed forgotten after the feudal period. Most films have a recurring plot such as a roaming masterless samurai or work seeking. In China, the “Wuxia Pian” evolved into a much more energetic, acrobatic and choreographed sub-genre. With the three sequences we have watched, I will focus first on the visuals, and editing choices to then draw a comparison of composition, choreography of the action, and aural sound (including soundtrack when applicable) of the three clips to differentiate the three main sub-genre of the swordplay style.
The first sequence in Captain Blood (1936) is the first scene of one-on-one “swashbuckling” in film history. The movie is set in the 17th century, as the costumes would suggest. Much like swashbuckler novels (e.g. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.) the two protagonists, Peter Blood and Captain Lavasseur, are fighting for a woman. The two men fence to death in what appears a very energetic fight. The duel finishes with Lavasseur losing the fight. The intensity is created with 45 shots in the sequence, producing an Average Shot Length (ASL) of 4.4 seconds. The style and editing is highly dynamic with numerous intercuts between close-ups of Peter Blood, Captain Levasseur and other characters, as well as establishing shots to long/medium shots.
The second sequence in Sanjuro (1963) is the final scene of the movie. The film occurs during the Tokugawa era (1603-1868) as the costumes entails. The scene begins with the group of young disciples of Sanjuro searching for their master. They find him preparing to confront his rival. The pace of the editing is much slower then the first sequence, with 19 shots and an ASL of 11 seconds. The segment is primarily composed of long takes of medium shots when the students look for their master, during the western-like standoff, and the final dialogue of Sanjuro as he exits. Only once can we analyze a different pattern. When Sanjuro delivers a single deadly blow to his rival the editing switches to a fast cutting close-up shots to the different student faces.
The third sequence in Come Drink With Me (1966) is a fragment of an intense acrobatic martial-art fight. The protagonist is a female, not like the other films. The fighting segment occurs in a temple and the sequence ends outside in front of the temple. The pace and editing has 31 shots, with an ASL of 4.1 seconds, similar to Captain Blood. The sequence varies from establishing shots inside the temple, showing an inescapable situation, to close-ups detailing the characters states. It is important to notice the presence of low angle long/medium shots during the final action shot in the temple and for the rest of the sequence.
Theses three sequences hold some strong similarities, obviously including the situation of swordplay combat. However, there are also many differences. For instance, the most striking contrast is the sound/audio used, or even absent, to emphasis action or to create a tensed situation around the action. In Captain Blood (1933) the soundtrack guides the action. As the dueling intensifies between Peter Blood (Errol Flynn) and Captain Levasseur (Basil Rathbone) so does the music. The composition takes part of the theatrical feat of the sword fighting to intensify the action. In Sanjuro (1960) there is a total absence of soundtrack, until Sanjuro leaves his disciples. In fact, there is only the diegetic sound of birds chirping, until the two samurais agree to duel, which by then fades away. Only after the 26 seconds of silence, a single distorted note is heard to emphasis the abrupt and powerful strike of Sanjuro. The presence of the long silence shots builds an overwhelming suspense for the viewer. Lastly, no music is heard during Come Drink With Me (1966), only the diegetic sounds of swords clinging together or the bells around the henchmen’s feet. This enables to add a physical presence of the attackers, though they are not present on the screen.
Another interesting contrast comes from the choreography of the swordplay and its purpose. In the first sequence, the attention is around the footwork of the character, due to the choices of camera angles. Though the fence duel is highly energetic, it is also highly dramatized with pauses for exchange of short dialogue, which echoes a typical theatre mise en scene. In Sanjuro (1960) the only appearance of a choreographed action is very brief but very affective. After both ronins accept to duel, they both retrieve synchronistically their arms from their “sodegochi” (sleeves). Where many fencing gesture builds the action in the first sequence, in this one the choregraphy relies on the mix of symmetrical posing and silence. The duel finishes with a swift one-strike attack from Sanjuro, resulting in a very graphical and gory scene, an aspect not present in the two other sequences. The amount of blood used is present to entail of the powerful strength of Sanjuro. A minimal choreography of swordplay in comparison to Come Drink With Me (1966). In the third sequence the action is choreographed between a female protagonist and many henchmen. The gender of the main character and the display of the fight are a high contrast in comparison to the previous films. Indeed, in the previous sequences, both duels occurred in front of an audience, and none of the characters were females. Additionally, the entire action is focused on the hero, with the attackers jumping into and out of the frame. This particular visual provides a sense of entrapment to viewers, as if the protagonist is surrounded. Finally, it’s important to notice that, though she is surrounded, the henchmen’s only attack her once, constantly changing partners, reminiscing more of a dance than a fight. This characteristic echoes style of Peking Opera performances.
With the analytical insight established of the three scenes, we can see certain pattern of each sub-genre emerge. The Hollywood style of swashbuckling will focus on a theatrical aspect and feat of fencing. In terms of rhythm, fast cutting editing and an overwhelming musical soundtrack matching the duel ensures intensity in the action. A composition nearly opposite to the Japanese swordplay. In Sanjuro we are faced with a slowed down paced of the editing and longer takes, therefore stretching the intensity of the duel. The focus in the “chanabara” is on the intensity of a single strike, a one-shot-kill approach. In Come Drink With Me the swordplay evokes a subtle dance choreography echoing the traditions of Peking Opera, a recurring choice for the “Wuxia Pian” category. Finally, unlike the first two films, the violence is suggested since the defeated attackers quickly disappear off the screen. Theses three sequences present different forms of the swordplay genre. The different costumes, and the particular weapons for the duels used in the sequences only reinforce that ideology. Each practice is more popular in their own respective culture, because they reflect their own traditions.